Apparatus for grinding and buffing metallic articles and the like



F. c. GLIKE May '22, 1945.

APPARATUS FOR GRINDING AND BUFFING METALLIC ARTICLES AND THE LIKE Filed Ndv. 18, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR .FREDE/P/CK CZ Gu/rc',

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APPARATUS FOR GRINDING AND BUFFING METALLIC ARTICLEISYNND THE- in Filed-Nov. 1a, 1942 1"zshetsfshee t zf III . VATTORINIEYY'SQ 5a gm Patented May 22, 1945 APPARATUSFOR. GRINDING- AN'D BUFFIN G DIETALLIC ARTICLES AND THE LIKE Frederick C.'Glike, Meriden, Conn, assignor to International Silver Company, Meriden, 001111., I acorporation of New Jersey Application November 18, 1942, Serial No. 465,974

Claims.

This invention relatesv to the finishing of metallic articles such as cutlery and the like and particularly to a novel and improved means therefor.

The blades of table ware cutlery usually have their back edges left thick for strength and for safety, and to provide finger rests to apply pressure to the blade when cutting. It is desirable that these backedges be slightly rounded and finished to a satisfactory surface, and these, edges sarily coarse abrasive wheel, and are run up and down the length of the back edges until all cutting tool marks have been removed. The process is repeated on one or more abrasive wheels with finer coating, with hand manipulation of the blades in an attempt to round the back edges to the desired appearance and feel, andthis in turn is followed by hand-polishing and bumng operations on wheels or buffs coated with fine abrasives or polishing and bufling compounds to secure the desired bright polished surface. These operations are slow and expensive; the resulting finished surfaces of the back edges are likely to vary in rounding from one blade to another or from one part of a blade to another part; the coarse marks n'ecessarily'made in the surface by the first coarse abrasive operation are not always removed by succeeding operations, thus leaving the'final finish impaired by deep lengthwise scratches. Moreover the polishing and bumng operations being essentially slow cutting are necessarily ineffective in removing these scratches which run in the direction of the length of the blade, and final bufllng across the edge is impractical since the cutting edge of the wheel could not be maintained, being at once raked off by the sharp edges.

One object of the invention is a novel and improved means or/apparatus for performing the shaping, polishing and'bufiing operations whereby a better and a more uniform finish of the blades is obtained.

A further object of the invention is such an apparatus which permits the operations to be effected at a higher speed, and as a consequence with reduction of operating costs, with economy in the use of floor space, and with greateruniformity of product. Further objects of themvention will hereinafter appear.

reference maybe had to the accompanying draw: ings forming a part of this application, wherein Figs. '1 and 2 are views at right angles to each other of an apparatus embodying the invention.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a detail of the apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a view partly in section of the work supporting discs and theif supporting shaft.

Fig. 6 isanother view ofthe work supporting discs showing how they are relatively adjustable.

Referring to the drawings the invention is illustrated as embodied in a machine whose frame comprises four vertical uprights I, v2, 3 and 4 (angle irons), these uprights being broken off for convenience in illustration, and horizontal frame members 5,6, 1 and 8, which are fastened to the uprights near their upper ends to thereby form a rigid structural frame. The frame member 5 may be in the form of a plate bridging the front uprights I and 4, and the side members 6 and I are illustrated as channel pieces, bridging respectively the uprights I, 2 and 3, 4. There are two horizontal angle members 8 bridging the back uprights 2 and 3. An upwardly extending channel frame member 9 is rigidly fastened to the frame as for example to the angle pieces 8, and this frame member 9 carries'at its upper and lower ends base supports H and [2 for support- For 'a better understanding of the invention mg pulleys l3 and I4 respectively. The base support ll carries horizontal bracket or outwardly extending member l5 which clears the belt 20 carried by the pulleys l3 and I4, andthis member lli in turncarries a U shaped bearing frame IS on which are mounted the bearings H for the shaft ll of the pulley l3; The base support I2 is provided with outwardly extending lugs orbracket members l8 upon which is pivotally mounted at IS a base frame l9, which carries the pulley I4 and a driving motor 2| as a unit, the latter being directly coupled to the pulley for driving the belt 20 at the desired speed. The base is is thus pivotallymounted for adjusting the tension of the belt 20 it being understood that the unit may be fixed or fastenedin the adjusted position by any suitable means omitted for con venience in illustration. I

There is supported up above the frame 5, 6, and 1, a fixed guide plate or base 25, the latter being fixed and mounted upon a table or plate 26 which is supported at one end by the channel beam 21 resting upon the frame 8, 1, and at its other end by a support 28 fastened at its upper end to the plate 28, and at its lower end to a web ofthe channel 6. The bed member 25 carries adjust- 1 ably thereon a supporting carriage, 36, which in 1 turn carries'a motor 3| a shaft 32, and a reduc- 1 tion gear unit 33 between the motor and the shaft. 5 The motor frame and the reduction gear unit 33 frame are diagrammatically shown as being of 1 a unitary character, the gearing being omitted in the drawings for convenience in illustration. The 3 shaft 32 is journaledin the frame of the unit 33 1 and projects across the belt 20. This shaft car- 1 ries two pairs of diSCs 34, 35 and 36, 31 respec- 1 tively. These discs are provided with mating notches 36 on their periphery for the reception of 1 the article forms. The two sets of discs are ad- 1 I justably mounted on the shaft 32, and in practice are spaced from each other on the shaft a distance suitable for supporting the forms there- 1 on in operative relation to the belt 20. The discs of each set are rotatably adjustable with respect to each other so that the corresponding openings or notches in the peripheries of the mating discs are either in line or slightly staggered with j respect to each other so as to be able to accommodate and firmly hold forms of different thick- I nesses.

In the particular embodiment shown the 68. The discs 34 and 36 are in the form of annular plates fastened flat against the discs 35 and 31 by screw bolts 66. These members 34 and 36 are angularly adjustable by means of arm- 1 ate slots 61 provided therein for the accommodation of the bolts 66 which are screw-threadi edly attached to the discs 35 and 31. The shaft 32 carries adjacent its outer end a pair of discs com- 1 prising a disc 4| of slightly smaller diameter than 1 the discs 34 to 31, and a disc 42 of larger diam- 1 eter than the diameter of the discs 34 to 31. The 1 1 discs 4| and 42 may be formed as a unit and 1 spaced by spacers 43, and are adjustable along 1 the shaft 32 to accommodate different lengths of 1 forms.

3 which is slidable along the shaft and fastened in 1 any position by a set screw 65. The disc 4| serves 1 as a support for one end of the form, as for example, the tang of a knife while the disc 42 functions as a limit stop against longitudinal movement of the forms in one direction. The adjust- 1 ing means for these discs 4l42 is omitted from 1 the drawings for convenience in illustration. The

work support discs 34 to 31 are positioned with their peripheries running closely adjacent one side 5 of the belt so as to carry the forms successively into contact with travelling belt 20.

The apparatus may be used for forming any desired articles such as for example, as indicat- =ed above, table cutlery. A knife blade form 40 is illustrated in the drawings as being mounted within the notches 38 formed on the peripheries of the discs 34, 35, 36, and 31.

These discs are 1 preferably so adjusted longitudinally of the shaft 32 that forms 46 are supported with the whole of the disc 4|, the periphery thereof being subistantially in line with the bottoms of the notches 38 formed in the discs 3431 and the ends of the 1 handles or tangs rest against the disc 42, whereby 1 the forms are prevented from outward movement.

The disc 42 is provided with a hub 42' In the particular embodiment shown the discs 3431 are divided with a multiplicity of mating notches 36 for the reception of a multiplicity of forms which are successively and repeatedly brought into operative relation with the abrasive belt.

As pointed out above the discs 34, and the discs 36, 31, may be rotatedly adjusted with respect to each other so as to have their notches 38 in exact alignment or to positions in slightly staggered relation, the adjustment in each case being such as to hold the knife blade firmly during operation and to accommodate forms of different thicknesses.

The motor and disc unit 3|, 32, 33 is adjustably mounted as indicated above by the movement of the carriage support 30 along the base support 25, and this adjustment is for the purpose or adjusting the discs 3431 as a unit with respect to the surface of the belt 20, the discs thereby being brought either to closer relation to the belt or to a position farther away therefrom. The structure whereby this adjustment is effected is somewhat diagrammatically illustrated. The carriage 30 is adjustable in a channel or groove formed in the upper part of the base 25, and retaining plates 25' engage shoulders 30' formed on the edges of the carriage bed 30 to hold the carriage bed 30 on the support base 25, but to permit adjustments of the carriage in a direction at right angles to the plane of the belt 20. The adjustment of the carriage 36 is effected in any srtable manner as for example by means of the screw adjusting means indicated generally at 45. This means comprises a bracket 46, firmly fastened to a projection from the base 25 in any suitable manner as for example by a bolt 46' and an adjusting screw 41 which is journaled at 46 in the bracket 46 against longitudinal movement. This screw 41 screwthreadedly engages a block member 43, which is rigidly fastened in any suitable manner to the carriage 30 as for example by the bolts 46'. The outer end of the screw member 41 is provided with a handle 49 for facilitating the manual rotation of the screw 41 and thereby the adjustment of the disc's 3431 with respect to the abrasive belt.

In addition to the adjustment of the discs 3431 as a unit towards or away from the belt 20, there is provision for angular adjustment of the shaft 32 with respect to the plane of the belt. This is efiected through the mounting of the unit 3|, 33, upon an adjustable plate 50 which lies fiat upon a fixed plate 5| mounted on the carriage 30. .The plate 5| is fastened to the carriage 30 in any suitable manner, as for example, by the means of the bolts 5| illustrated. The adjustable plate 50 is pivot-ally fastened to the plate 5| on one side by the bolt 52 for swivelling movement thereon, this bolt passing through the right hand projecting parts of the plates (Fig. l). The plates are firmly held in the adjusted position by a lock nut 53 of a bolt projecting through an arcuate slot 54 formed in the plate 50, the bolt being fixed or fastened to plate 5| in any suitable manner. Thus by manipulation of the handle 49 and the screw 41, the tension of the drum or discs 3431 against the belt 20 may be adjusted so as to give the desired grinding, forming and polishingpressure. On the other hand the angular relation of these discs and the shaft 32 may be varied by adjusting the plate 50 about the bolt 52 as an axis or pivot-a1 point for accommodating the apparatus to different widths of forms on which the grinding or On the opposite side of the belt 20 from the discs or circular work carriers 34-31 there is disposed a guide or back rest member for cooperation with the belt and the discs to obtain the desired abrading and polishing operations, this guide means being indicated generally by the numeral 55. It comprises a base member 55 of a width approximating the width of the belt 20 and long enough in the direction of the moving belt to hold the belt firmly against movement away from the forms 40 carried by the discs. The base member 56 is faced with rubber or other compressible material 51, and is provided with a wear protecting surface 58. This wear protecting surface 58 may be a section of a worn out belt 20, canvas or the like. The guide 56 is preferably shaped to approximately the curvature of the edge of the work to be formed or to the curvature of the circular carriers so as to force the belt to assume this curvature when operating on the back of the work. The slight curvature in 56 is indicated at 56'. This guide and cooperating abraiding member may be carried in any suitable manner as for example by a channel or U-shaped member 59whose upper leg is fastened to the bracket I and lower le is fastenedto a horizontally extending part 60 of the guide or back rest. If desired means may be provided for adjusting the guide toward and away from the belt such means being omitted from the drawings for convenience in illustration. The wearing surface 58 is indicated as fastened to the guide by the nails or pins 58.

The flexible belt 20 is coated on the side which engages the work with any suitable abrasive grinding, buffing or polishing material.

The apparatus is useful for grinding and forming various and sundry articles and on the draw ings I have indicated ordinary table knife forms mounted and supported in the notches 38 of the carriers, these forms being so adjusted as to have the abrasive side of the belt!!! contact with the whole length of the back edge of the blade to be L ground.

The shaft 32 and the discs 34--3'| are adjusted for the desired grinding or polishing pressure against the belt and also for the required angularity of the shaft 32 for the purpose of giving the desired form to the back edges. A guide 55 suitable to the work to be operated on is mounted in place and adjusted so as to cooperativel function with the belt and with the discs 3431, to

perform the grinding or polishing operation.

The belt is driven at the desired speed while the discs 34-31 are rotated slowly by the motor, the back edges of the forms projecting outwardly beyond the peripheral surface of the discs or carrier. As the discs are rotated the back edges of the forms are brought into contact with the moving abrasive belt 20. By this operation the forms are ground crosswise of the backedges and at the same time the edges of the back edge are rounded generally in proportion to the distance of the edge from the center of the carrier shaft 32. The backrest or guide is so shaped as indicated, that when placed on the opposite side of the abrasive belt from the carrier and at the point where the forms'being ground make contact with the belt, that the latter is forced to assume a predetermined profile and thereby cuts or grinds the backs of the forms to that profile. 55 may be dispensed with when only a slight This backrest or guidev distortion of the face of the abrasive belt is needed. It is thus seen that as the forms approach the belt the advancing side edges of the forms first come into contact with the belt while as th forms recede fromthe belt the other edges thereof contact with the belt. The discs 34-31 '(as shown in Fig. 2) rotate clockwise, whereas the belt 20 (in the same figure) travels counter-clockwise. The rate of travel of the belt is greater than that of the discs, thus the grinding operation is efl'ected. Obviously increasing the rate of belt travel or decreasing the rate of disc travel will increase the amount of cut. The speed of the discs and ofthe belt can be regulated at will to obtain the desired degree of cut. The forms are successively ground or polished to the desired extent and preferably the discs 34-31 are run at a sufficiently slow speed to enable forms to be fed thereto without discontinuing the rotation.

The apparatus may be easily and quickly adjustable to successive lots of different outlines or profiles, or widths of back edges or blades and rapid production is effected with marked uniform results. Adjustments may be effected to give the proper motions to obtain the desired back edge finish of the forms with varied degrees of roundness as desired dependent on thickness and type of form. The flexibility of the abrasive belt permits it to adjust itself to the slightly curved profile of the edge of the work being ground, and to minor variations in profile of the different pieces of a lot being ground. By the use of the flexible guide or backrest shaped to approximately the same curve as the edge of the work to be ground the belt is forced into a predetermined transverse profile between the edge of the piece being ground and the shaped guide on the other side of the belt thus enabling the abrasive belt to grind outlines with a considrable degree of curvature, either regular or irregular. The forms held in the slots or notches 38 of the rotating carrier are swept past the abrasive covered belt at a uniform speed and pressure thereby giving uniform results in grinding the back edges of the knife forms and at the same time a uniform roundness to the back edge of the blade. In the apparatus as shown the longitudinal plane of the belt is vertical. '1 his position is preferable as each piece of work carried by the discs will drop by gravity shortly after contact with the belt is discontinued, and the abrasive grinding dust i carried downward away from the operator. Obviously however the plane of the belt may be horizontal or at any desired angle.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the character set forth, the combination of an abrasive flexible belt, means for supporting anddriving said belt, a rotatable shaft mounted in juxtaposition to one side of the belt and means for driving said shaft, a pair of work carrying discs supported by said shaft in spaced relation, each disc comprising a pair of plates which are angularly adjustable with respect to each other with the plates having on their pen'pheries work carrying recesses which may be 2. In an ap aratus of the character set forth, the combination of an abrasive flexible belt, means for supporting and driving said belt, a rotatable shaft mounted in juxtaposition to one side of the belt and means for driving said shaft, a pair of work carrying discs supported by said shaft in spaced relation, each disc comprising a pair of plates which are angularly adjustable with respect to each other with the plates having on their peripheries work carrying recesses which may be brought into alignment or into staggered relation, and a second pair of discs mounted on the said shaft at points beyond said first named pair of discs, one of said second named pair of discs being of a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the first named discs for supporting I the over-hanging end of a work form and the other of said second pair of discs acting as a stop against which the end 'of a work piece abuts. each of said pairs of discs being adjustable longitudinally of the shaft.

3. In an apparatus of the character set forth, the combination of an abrasive flexible belt, means for supporting and driving said belt, a motor unit including a shaft mounted for rotation in juxtaposition to one side of said belt and a pair of spaced circular work carrying means mounted on said shaft for supporting and successively advancing elongated work forms into engagement with the abrasive side of said belt, said motor and shaft unit being mounted upon an adjustably supported bed for adjusting the grinding pressure of the forms against the belt, and a supporting means for said unit also providing for angular adjustments of said shaft with respect to the plane of the belt.

4. In an apparatus of the character set forth, the combination of an abrasive flexible belt, means for supporting and driving said belt and varying the tension thereof, a motor unit including a shaft mounted for rotation in juxtaposition to one side of said belt and a pair of spaced circular work carrying means mounted on said shaft for supporting and successively advancing elongated work forms into engagement with the abrasive side of said belt, said motor and shaft unit being mounted upon an adjustable supporting bed for adjusting the grinding pressure of the forms against the belt, and a supporting means for said unit also providing for angular adjustments of said shaft with respect to the plane of the belt.

5. In an apparatus of the character set forth, the combination of an abrasive flexible belt, means for supporting and driving said belt, a motor unit including a shaft mounted for rotation in juxtaposition to one side of said belt and a pair of spaced circular work carrying means mounted on said shaft for supporting and successively advancing elongated work forms into engagement with the abrasive side of said belt, said motor and shaft unit being mounted uponan adjustably supported bed for adjusting the grinding pressure of the forms against the belt, and a supporting means for said unit also providing for angular adjustments of said shaft with respect to the plane of the belt, the supporting bed plate being movable in a direction transverse to the plane of the abrasive flexible belt and said supporting means comprising a supporting plate mounted upon said bed plate and pivotally fastened thereto to provide for angular adjustments of the motor shaft with respect to the plane of the flexible belt.

6. In an apparatus of the character set forth the combination of an abrasive flexible belt,

spaced pulleys for supporting and driving the belt. a rotatable shaft supported and disposed adjacent the abrasive side of said belt and disposed parallel to the plane of the belt and at right angles to the direction of movement of the belt, means for rotating said shaft, a pair of work carrying discs spaced from each other and mount ed on said shaft for supporting and successively advancing cutlery forms into engagement with said moving belt and moving them past said belt while in engagement therewith in the plane of movement of the belt, said discs having alined slots formed on their peripheries in which the cutlery forms are fixedly held against rotation with their edges projecting beyond the peripheries of the discs whereby the forms are flrmly held at varying angles with respect to the abrasive belt as they are swept therepast and a curved back rest supported on the opposite side of the abrasive belt from the work carrying discs against which the belt is forced .to ride when engaged by the cutlery forms, said curved back rest having a cylindrical belt engaging surface disposed approx imately concentric with said discs, said abrasive belt being tensioned by means wholly independent of said carrying discs.

7. In an apparatus of the character set forth, the combination of a rotary carrier having means for holding elongated metallic articles on the periphery thereof, an abrasive and flexible belt supported and tensioned by means wholly independently of said rotary carrier with the belt disposed parallel with the axis of the rotary carrier and traveling in a direction at right angles thereto but to one side thereof and a substantially rigid back support disposed closely adjacent the periphery of the rotary carrier and having a concave surface corresponding generally to the cylindrical convex path of the articles against which back support the articles are firmly pressed by the rotary carrier with the abrasive belt passing therebetween and following said cylindrical convex 'path.

8. In an apparatus of the character set forth, the combination of a multi-disc rotary carrier having means for rigidly holding elongated metallic articles on the periphery thereof parallel to the axis of rotation, an abrasive and flexible belt supported and tensioned by means wholly independently of said rotary carrier with the belt disposed parallel with the axis of the rotary carrier and traveling in a direction at right angles thereto but to one side thereof and a substantially rigid back support comprising a rigid base member and a face of compressible resilient material and being disposed closely adjacent the periphery of the rotary carrier and having a concave surface corresponding generally to the cylindrical convex path of the articles against which back support the articles are firmly pressed by the rotary carrier with the abrasive belt passing therebetween and following said cylindrical convex path.

9. In an apparatus of the character set forth, the combination of a multi-disc rotary carrier having means thereon for rigidly holding elongated metallic articles on the periphery thereof parallel to the axis of rotation, an abrasive and flexible belt supported and tensioned by means wholly independently of said rotary carrier with a part of the belt vertically disposed parallel with the axis of the rotary carrier and traveling in a direction at right angles thereto but to one side thereof and a substantially rigid back support disposed closely adjacent the periphery of the rotary carrier and having a concave surface corresponding generally to the cylindrical convex path of the articles against which back support the articles are firmly pressed by the rotary carrier with the abrasive belt passing therebetween and following said cylindrical convex path.

10. In an apparatus of the character set iorth, the combination of a rotary carrier having means for holding elongated metallic articles on the periphery thereof, an abrasive and flexible belt supported and tensioned by means wholly independently of said rotary carrier with the belt disposed parallel with the axis of the rotary carrier and traveling in a direction at right angles thereto but to one side thereof and a substantially rigid back support comprising a rigid base member faced with rubber having a protecting surface formed of a wear-resisting material, said support being disposed closely adjacent the periphery of the rotary carrier and having a concave surface corresponding generally to the cy drical convex path 01 the articles against w ch back support the articles are firmly presse by the rotary carrier with the abrasive belt passing therebetween and following said cylindrical convex path.

FREDERICK C. GLIKE. Y 

